Omarzai juggles his roles according to the situation as his all-round performance gives Afghanistan opening-day win.
Afghanistan defeated Hong Kong handily to start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign, with to the all-around genius of Azmatullah Omarzai, who scored 53 off 21 balls and figures of 1 for 4. Omarzai attributed his triumph to his belief when he considered the difficulties of batting lower in the order after the game.
“Very tough batting in the lower order, all about belief,” Omarzai said. “The captain and coach have belief in me, was trying to back myself and was trying to hit straight with the ball coming on nice.”
In just 20 balls, Omarzai achieved his first T20I fifty, hitting all five of his sixes between deep midwicket and extra cover. He joined opener Sediqullah Atal (73* off 52) at 95 for 4 in the 13th over, helping to hold the innings steady until the 16th. They scored 69 runs, including three fours and six sixes, in the final four overs after their stand set the stage for a late assault.
“We lost early wickets, so I was just speaking to Sediqullah that we will bat till the 16th and then look for boundaries. We were looking to hit straight and were looking for our favourite balls.”
Asked whether he sees himself as a batting or bowling allrounder, Omarzai was emphatic: “I think I am both. When I get bowling, I feel I am a proper bowler; when I bat, I feel I am a proper batter. It is 50-50.”